Remember when we used to say, "I'll believe it when I see it"? Well, those days are apparently over. 

It only takes a quick look at social media these days... between AI-generated photos, videos that look completely real, and voices that can be copied so convincingly you'd swear you were hearing the actual person, we can't even trust our own eyes and ears anymore.

And speaking of AI, take another look at the cover photo for this blog. I started with an actual photo I took in my yard, then used AI to gradually change it from left to right. The left side is what my camera captured, while the right side is clearly enhanced with brighter colors, dramatic lighting, removal of electric and phone lines, and even a sunset that wasn't actually there. 

But it's the middle that I find especially interesting. The changes are subtle enough that you might not even notice them. And that's what concerns me. It's not always the obviously fake stuff we need to watch out for. Sometimes it's those little changes that are just believable enough to slip right past us.

And that's just the technology side of things. We're constantly bombarded with information, opinions, headlines, and people telling us what to believe. Everybody seems so sure of themselves and sometimes the people who sound the most convincing are the ones who actually have it wrong. And sometimes that's what makes it so hard to spot. It's not necessarily something completely made up. It might even be mostly true, with just a few details conveniently changed or left out. And let's face it, there are plenty of people who have something to gain by making us believe things that aren't true.

Then there's this whole idea of "my truth" and "your truth." We all see things through the lens of our own experiences. Two people can witness the same “fender bender” and come away with very different impressions of what happened and who was at fault. That's perspective. And we all have one. But perspective and truth aren't the same thing.

We can have different opinions. We can interpret things differently. We can even be absolutely convinced we're right… and still be wrong. Believing something doesn't automatically make it true and that applies to me just as much as it does to anybody else.

That's a big part of why I've been praying for more discernment… because I have a feeling we're all going to need an awful lot of it in the years ahead.

I'm talking about being able to recognize when something just doesn't seem quite right. Knowing when to question what we're being told instead of automatically accepting it. And sometimes, that's especially hard when the thing we're questioning is something we've believed for years, isn't it?

I don't mean we should become suspicious of everyone and everything. Good grief, that would be exhausting! But I do want to be able to recognize the truth, even when there's a whole lot of noise trying to drown it out. 

Remember when Solomon asked God for an understanding heart so he could discern between good and evil? (1 Kings 3:9) Of all the things he could have asked for, that's what he chose. If Solomon saw the need for discernment way back then, can you imagine how much more we need it today? 

The more convincing deception becomes, the more important it is to recognize it. I don't care how smart we are or how much life experience we have. None of us is going to get it right every time. We can check sources, ask questions, look for evidence, and use common sense. And we should! But I also believe in asking God to help us recognize the stuff we are missing. I'm sure part of that is spending time in God's Word. After all, how can we expect to recognize what's true if we're not taking the time to learn what God tells us is true?

So yes, I'm praying for discernment. And no, I'm not praying for it so I can go around pointing out where everybody else is wrong! I've got enough to worry about keeping myself on the right track. I just want to recognize when something isn't what it seems, when I need to dig a little deeper, or when maybe I'm the one who needs to rethink something. Because if technology continues moving in the direction it's headed, I suspect the line between what's real and what only looks real is going to get harder and harder to recognize. 

So much for "I'll believe it when I see it," huh? I wonder how many of us have fallen for something that turned out to be completely fake, even though we thought we were pretty good at spotting that kind of thing. Any stories you're willing to admit to?